This Waterfront View Could be Yours! Enter for Your Chance to Win the HGTV® Dream Home 2018

This post is sponsored by HGTV® Dream Home 2018, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.  

If you follow me on Pinterest you might have noticed me filling up my boards with photos from the HGTV® Dream Home 2018.  This year's HGTV Dream Home Giveaway® 2018 is unbelievable: you can enter for a chance to win a beautifully furnished home located in Gig Harbor, Washington (overlooking the Puget Sound), plus an all new Honda Accord and $250,000 from national mortgage lender Quicken Loans®. 

I hope you all enter for a chance to win but even though only one person can win this stunning waterfront home, we can all pick up a few design ideas.  I'm aching with envy but I'm also so inspired by the modern architecture and the subtly coastal vibe.  The airy design boasts a lot of white, but it's kept interesting with layered textures, pretty pastels, and a collection of quirky accessories and art.  I'm sharing a few of my favorite photos (taken by Robert Peterson, Rustic White Photography) below, but you can catch the whole tour here.

The kitchen might be my favorite room because it has really classic and timeless, all white cabinetry that's accessorized with pretty turquoise pieces.  I continually waffle between walnut cabinets and classic white cabinets in my own kitchen renovation planning, and this kitchen has me seriously leaning toward an all white design again.

Although the white on white design combined with stainless steel appliances and turquoises accessories (yes!) is a very cool palette, the touches of wood add a lot of warmth.  People sometimes encourage me to break up my turquoise, blue, and white decor with contrasting colors like orange or red, but I am just too committed to blues and greens.  I have a little orange and pink, here and there, but I consider warm wood tones to be enough of a contrast with cool colors.

These photos are my proof; I rest my case.

Just look at that stunning view!  

In the living room, the decor is very soft, which lets the incredible view steal the show.  I am so envious of that stunning wall of windows!  The placement of the fireplace is really unusual but it solves the classic waterfront dilemma when a fireplace is placed anywhere else: do I face the windows and enjoy the view, or face the fire and enjoy the warmth?  The fire or the view?  The view or the fire?  Problem solved!

I like how the decor incorporates subtle coastal touches.  There's nary a red + navy, nautical print to be found in the open concept kitchen/living/dining but many of the textures lend a beachy vibe to the space, like the beautiful rug in the living room and the baskets hung on the wall for clever storage.  The driftwood end table and soft blue hues play up the coastal location a little more, but the overall look is still soft and modern.

In the dining room, those pink chairs complement the blues and white so nicely.  I love the massive scale of the artwork and the unique way it incorporates a classic nautical motif: fish!

You can get a better sense of the open floor plan from these photos.

I'm 100% behind the trend forecast of modern pastels!  I am (already) done with winter, done with seeing moody hues, done with anything that feels dark and heavy.  I am so ready for uplifting, spring-inspired colors and lighter decor that feels more minimal and spacious.  Seeing these photos makes me realize that it might be time for me to de-clutter my lakehouse a little and infuse some more pastels and whites so my own decor feels airier and beachier...

I won't lie: this decor makes me want to tear down and start from scratch and this is just a small sampling of photos, there are so many other gorgeous spaces to tour - be sure to take a look.  I just want to share one more area:  the exterior, along with the stunning view (that could be yours!):

What's your favorite space or design idea from the HGTV® Dream Home 2018?

Good luck everyone!  If one of you wins, I'm going to have to insist that you let me visit.  I promise I won't steal that turquoise stand mixer from you...

No purchase necessary.  Open to legal residents of the U.S., age 21 or older.  Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes starts at 9 a.m. ET on 12/27/17 and ends at 5 p.m. ET on 2/16/18.  Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.  For full official rules, visit HGTV.com/HGTVDreamHome or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: “HGTV Dream Home Giveaway” RR, P.O. Box 53013, Knoxville, TN 37950.  Main Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC d/b/a Home & Garden Television.

HGTV, HGTV Dream Home, HGTV Dream Home Giveaway and their associated logos are trademarks of Scripps Networks, LLC. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

Give the Gift of Sleep

When I was a kid, I loathed getting practical items as gifts.  If there were socks under the tree, or underwear in my stocking, I just wasn't enthused.  I wasn't even a super demanding kid - I'd have preferred no gift.  These days I'd love if someone would buy me some quality wool socks or comfy underwear.  I don't even want to admit how many of my Smartwool socks have holes on the bottom that my Mom has kindly darned.  As an adult, I am never moved by holiday commercials with expensive diamond gifts because as much as I love jewelry, for that kind of outlay of cash, I'd prefer a dishwasher that actually washes dishes or a lawn mower that mows...

If you're shopping for anyone who is old enough to vote, and lives on their own, I have the best recommendation: give the gift of sleep!

We've all read the stats: we sleep about 1/3 of our lives - or we should, anyway, if we're doing our best to get an adequate number of zzzzzz's in a night.  That's around 230,000 hours!  Way too many people I know are logging those long hours on 30 year old mattresses and flat, sad pillows.

Even though I'm loving sleep on a new mattress, I've realized that my pancake pillow is ruining the full experience.  Sometimes it's a hassle to pick out something new like that, though - I wish someone would do it for me (and wrap it with festive paper while they're at it).  But Hubby and I decided to do the adult thing and choosing brand new pillows - so we can start 2018 refreshed and rested - is high on our list of things to do.

Wouldn't you want to gift someone with that amazing feeling?

Unless you've recently won the lottery, I doubt you can buy everyone you love a new mattress (although you can score a queen for under $600 at Sleep Country Canada - and they sell their own brand of handy-dandy mattress-in-a-box with free shipping), but you might want to consider starting your year off with a dreamy mattress that will help your mind and body rest.  You can shop online by brand, by size, or construction - or you can try them out in store.

A cozy duvet is one of those expenses so many of us keep pushing off the list of things that we deem important to buy (guilty).  But it's so essential to a good night's rest!  There are some really high end ones that Sleep Country Canada carries, but I love the price and quality of this Australian wool and down one.  Show someone you love them by replacing their itchy, satin-trimmed blanket (you know the kind) with this:

For a smaller budget, I love the idea of giving a throw (like this neutral gingham print).  I have so many blankets in my house and I don't think I've ever complained that I have too many!  It's nice to keep one tucked in the bedroom closet, draped on the bed, a few in the living room, and of course the bunkie has some too.  I even keep one in my office in the winter, so I can bundle up on those blustery winter days when I'd rather stay in bed.

Another affordable gift that everyone can use is a new robe!  The perfect gift for winter time, when dashing from the warmth of the bathroom to anywhere else feels miserable.   

But I really advocate for new pillows!  It's such a practical gift but you can really find one for every budget and even get a really indulgent one for that special someone.  Plus, they wear out!  They get filled with creepy dust mites, flatten from the weight of our massive noggins, start to get all bunchy - it's seriously something most people need but probably haven't replaced.  And picture that massive box under the tree - points for size, right?

This Responsive Down Pillow is the perfect mix between memory foam and down, for people who want the best of both worlds. 

This PolarTropic pillow boasts two sides that help satisfy changing temperatures: a cooling ice silk yarn and memory foam for when you're warm, and on the other side a room temperature material for when you get chilled - it's the pillow designed for people always flipping it over to get that coolness.

Myself, I'm eyeing up the Polar Tropic one - so clever!  I love that Sleep Country Canada organizes pillows by how you sleep so you can quickly find the right fit, but you can also shop by size.  And you can rest easy, knowing you're giving a gift that keeps giving.

Time for a poll: would you choose a new mattress or a sparkling diamond necklace...?

This post was sponsored by Sleep Country Canada but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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Decorating with Lowe's + a Peek into the Fish Room

Time for an embarrassing confession: for some reason, I have been agonizing over a clock for the bathroom since we finished renovating it!  I've scoured every local shop and big box store, and spent more hours than I care to admit scrolling online.

After all of that work, I carefully chose TWO clocks over the course of six months and neither were a good fit!  One had brass arms (how did I miss that?) and the other ended up looking cheap next to the expensive Kohler fixtures.  Both clocks found homes elsewhere in the lakehouse, but I was still clock-less in here and I NEED a clock in the bathroom.  Otherwise time feels like it stands still while I try to force some volume into my fine hair and when I finally emerge, coiffed and ready to take on the day, I've inevitably been in their 20 minutes longer than I thought I was.  Some kind of weird time wormhole exists in the bathroom (either that or I'm spending more time than I think I am, just admiring the turquoise sinks).

Happily, clock number three - the Ergo Bentwood Wall Clock, from Lowe's Canada! - actually does the trick.  You can't buy it online, so you'll have to pop into your local Lowe's to take a peek.

Just call me Goldilocks and the Three Clocks. 

From Lowe's Modern Nostalgia home decor trend collection, the bentwood frame is stained a rich hue that is close to the walnut cabinetry and the silver hands work perfectly with the brushed nickel finish I used exclusively in this renovation.  Plus it's BIG, so I feel like it's shouting the time at me and I need any extra motivation I can find to pry myself out of my cozy lakehouse. 

Now I have no excuse for being late!

Darn.

Although, speaking of clocks, I might need one in the fish room too, because that's where I'm storing all of my fabric, craft and paint supplies these days, so you know I'll lose a lot of time in there too.  I wrapped it up over the weekend so I just have to photograph it and then I can share the full reveal!  In the meantime, here's a sneak peek...

I had always pined for these Umbra Trigg Wall Vessels but had no justifiable use or purpose for them until we started decorating this odd little room.  This blank wall called out to me, but it wasn't really a spot I wanted to tuck any artwork because it's kind of hidden.  I decided three of the large wall pockets would be so cute, packed with some of our prettiest craft supplies, like these pale aqua scissors and some other gems.

You know my stance on brass, so I'm actually contemplating spray painting the metal frame a soft blue hue but I just haven't made the leap yet.  Maybe we can place bets on whether, when reveal day arrives, these wall pockets will still be brass or have the very Tanya-eqsue treatment of a blast of turquoise paint...

Any takers?

I was provided product and compensation by Lowe's Canada, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.  If you missed it, check out the gorgeous, hand waxed reclaimed wood mirror I picked up at Lowe's for my entryway.

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A Little Hallway Update with Lowe's

After moving to the lakehouse, Hubby and I tackled a ton of budget-friendly, temporary makeovers to make this house feel bright and modern - and "us" - while we planned and saved for major renovations.  I'm so glad we took the time to do those spit & polish type projects because, other than the main bathroom, all of our major renos (full kitchen, laundry room and powder room gut, new roof and siding, new fireplace and secret door, fish room to laundry room conversion, etc.) had to take a back seat to some major life upheavals.  Although I love the temporary changes we made, I have to admit that I have been feeling a strong urge to pick up a sledgehammer and demo something!  I really want to renovate - probably motivated by motivated in part by the fact that all of our appliances are failing at once - but I have to cool my jets a little bit longer.  I'm so excited that I have had this fish room makeover to work on to satisfy my need for change.

In the meantime, I've been focusing on making small tweaks to our decor.  I've been eyeing the kitchen for a little upgrade and I have been dedicated to finding some missing puzzle pieces to finish the budget-friendly makeovers we did early on.  There are definitely some decor pieces that we have needed to help make our home more functional and help some spaces feel more complete.

Luckily, I have Lowe's Canada to help me out!  They have new home decor themes and one collection - "Modern Nostalgia" - definitely has my name on it, so I brought home a few accessories that are as practical as they are beautiful, in the hopes of putting some finishing touches on previous makeovers - and satiating my urge for change!

I'm sharing the piece with the biggest impact today, but come back to see a few more peeks into the fabulously curated decor finds from Lowe's Canada.

After painting the hallways walls, trim, and doors white, upgrading all of the interior levers and exterior door hardware, we replaced all of the boob lights and even switched out the dated door for one with a more mid-century modern inspired look.  We hung up some art and added the only piece of furniture the small space can afford: a little hand carved stool.  Most recently the floors were painted, along with the kitchen, but there was still a missing puzzle piece: a mirror!  

Whenever I wanted to fuss with my scarf or check my lip gloss before heading out the door, I'd either run back to the bedroom to use the full length mirror in there, or dash through the laundry room to the half bath and use that mirror. 

I had forgotten what a wonderful thing it is to have a mirror by the door!  Plus the hallway can be a little dark at times because even with the wonderful windows, our exterior door is often sheltered from the sun thanks to our carport.  So this Columbia Frame mirror helps bounce a little light around.

It's a beautiful addition to the space, adding warmth to my cool color palette of blues and whites.  It's made from solid reclaimed wood with a hand waxed finish, which adds a lot of gorgeous texture and interest. 

After I ordered it, I was worried it would be too chunky or too rustic, but although the diameter of the frame is very substantial in size (31/5"), it still feels delicate.  Plus I just love how the hand waxed finish plays on the lakeside vibe with its driftwood feel.

In my city, Lowe's Canada took over a lease at one end of our shopping mall and that's where the BEST parking is, so I always park there and slowly loiter my way through Lowe's to enter the mall.  I am so excited that Lowe's stocks beautiful home decor in addition to renovating supplies because I love browsing the aisles but I'm not quite ready to start appliance shopping or picking out tiles yet!

Soon, though, soon...

I was provided product and compensation by Lowe's Canada, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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(Sponsored by Wayfair) Mornings at the Lake + My Healthy Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Zucchini Protein Brownie Recipe

When Wayfair invited me to share my ideal morning with readers, I welcomed the encouragement to get a little personal on the blog - plus I was excited for a chance to share a recipe I recently developed for a grain-free, refined sugar-free zucchini brownie.

Over the years I've been asked by readers to share more personal posts, but I've actually shied away from that a little and have become more project-focused.  Recently I've been asked to write posts about living in Northwestern Ontario, life on the lake, why I don't want kids, what I'm doing with my PhD, etc., but I just find it's so much more comfortable to write about projects and crafting.  If I'm being honest, though, my favorite posts on the blogs I read are ones where I get to know someone better and can catch a sneak peek into someone's life.  I don't know how some bloggers can bare all on the internet because even sharing something so trivial as our morning routine felt outside of my comfort zone, but this has been the nudge I needed to start incorporating more personal posts, here and there. 

An Ideal Morning on the Lake

So what does our ideal morning look like?  That question really ties into some big life changes we've made in the last couple of years, since moving from a city with a population of nearly a million, to a rural municipality of only a couple thousand country-lovin' folk. 

Hubby and I have made it our mission to stop glorifying busy-ness, and have instead learned to live life on "lake time": when the weather is good, you enjoy it, because when you have free time it might be so foggy that the lake disappears!  The weather can turn in an instant and we've been known to drop our rakes and lawn mower in the summer and hop in the lake, mid-task, for a swim - something we've learned to do after finishing our chores in time for a sudden thunderstorm!  You learn to enjoy the good weather here, even if it runs contrary to your plans for the day!

We're pretty suited to "lake time" because neither Hubby nor I work a traditional 9-5 job, so our days vary wildly.  Sometimes we eat breakfast together, sometimes we're apart for every meal of the day.  Some mornings see us up at 3am or the crack of dawn - but don't cry for us, because sometimes we don't roll out of bed until 9.  I've lamented that I wish I could be one of those people who wakes up early naturally, instead of being jolted awake by the sound of my shrieking alarm clock.  But I'm the kind of person who will get a second wind at night and end up rearranging my closet at midnight, which makes sticking to a routine tricky; it's just not in my nature.  I've been craving more routine, though, so I've been working on committing to some kind of schedule because I have to admit that even though my body fights my desire to be an early riser (I have turned off my alarm in my sleep!), my brain loves being up early.  It's especially peaceful on the lake in the early morning and I love being awake before the sunrise - it's so invigorating! 

Hubby's unusual work schedule means that we're apart more than the average couple but then there are major perks and we see each other for huge chunks of time.  Because of this irregular schedule, when everyone else is fighting traffic or terrible weather, sometimes we're parked at our dining room table, watching the lake and eating a leisurely breakfast.  Because we don't get to eat together every day, I savor the moments when we can be together.  In the winter and spring we curl up inside, with a fire roaring, but soon we'll be having breakfast on the deck and I can't wait!  In the summer we often grab our plates and head out there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

So these days, that 's my ideal morning: slow, leisurely, relaxed.

  
I've stopped feeling guilty about reading a magazine when the house is messy, or enjoying some quiet time when I should be busy.  The lake has a calming effect that lulls us into laziness and I don't mind one bit - which is a major change for a type-A person like me!    
 


The other day I took this video, which is pretty much the view from the dining table:

Even Szuka sweetie appreciates, and is captivated by, the lake view!  She spends a lot of her day staring adorably out the window.  Sometimes she's on guard, but other times I swear she's just blissed out, taking it all in.

Refined Sugar-free, Grain-Free Zucchini Brownie Recipe

Our new approach to slow(er) living has manifested itself in what we eat, too.  I definitely still indulge, every now and then (mmmm, matcha shortbread!), but both Hubs and I have taken Sarah Wilson's lessons to heart and upped our daily veggies, seriously reduced our fructose intake, swapped sugar for brown rice syrup, and I've even experimented baking with coconut and almond flours.  I've also started adding whey protein to baked treats (to make them more diabetic-friendly for my Dad). 

There has been a lot of trial and error and my poor family has bravely eaten batch after batch of gritty, squishy, baking bombs.  My experimentation has been worth it, though, because I have an arsenal of delicious, healthier treats to show for it now!  Among the winners is this zucchini cake, made with wholesome ingredients like coconut flour, zucchini, shredded coconut and cocoa powder.  The only hint of sweetness is from the brown rice syrup and chopped dates. 

There's also some whey protein powder hidden in there and, with healthy ingredients like those listed below, I feel completely justified in eating this for breakfast once in awhile!  These brownies are really filling and so moist.  I'm drooling just thinking about them.



Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup softened butter*
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 coconut flour
• 1/2 cup chopped dates (pits removed)**
• 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup whey protein (unsweetened, unflavored)
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

*This recipe would definitely work with only 1/4 cup butter or with a healthier substitute, like coconut oil. 

**In her breakdown of sweeteners, Sarah Wilson highlights which "natural" and "healthier" sugar substitutes - like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar - actually have almost, if not as much, fructose as plain old white table sugar.  She singles out dates as well, because they contain nearly 30% fructose.  BUT, dates are high in fiber (which promotes digestion and heart health), magnesium (a natural anti-inflammatory), selenium, and potassium so I feel slightly less concerned about tossing them into this brownie recipe.  There's only a 1/2 cup in this entire recipe but if you're really concerned about the sugar intake, you could cut back on the dates and this would still be a tasty treat.

Kitchen Accoutrements (I wasn't asked to provide Wayfair links but I couldn't resist because there are some cute kitchen gadgets available):

• Flour sifter (this is the one I have)
• 8" square baking pan or even a larger loaf pan (teal!), or just double the recipe for an excuse to buy this 9 by 13 aqua Kobenstyle I've been lusting after.  I use a mint green jadeite one, but this clear glass Anchor Hocking pan is really similar - I really like baking in glass.
• Grater (this green grater is SO pretty!)
• Oven mitts (I need these in my life)
• Mixing bowls (these vintage Pyrex-inspired ones are perfection - so many Pyrex collectors I know through Instagram have bought them)
• Spatula

Instructions:

1. Sift the protein powder, cocoa powder, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, and set aside - don't skip this step because it keeps the protein powder and coconut flour from globbing together into lumps
2. Beat the butter and brown rice syrup with a hand mixer until creamy
3. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla
4. Gently stir in the sifted dry ingredients, combining thoroughly
5. Mix in the shredded coconut, dates and zucchini until well combined
6. Spread batter into a greased, 8" x 8" pan
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes
8. Let cool 5-10 minutes
9. Enjoy!

So that's a little sneak peek into our life on the lake.  It's not terribly riveting, but that's exactly how we like it!  

Thanks to Wayfair for sponsoring this post.  I was not required to link to any products or try to sell you anything at all (although I did decide to link to a few cute products to help bake the recipe I've included).  I'm so thrilled to partner with such a great brand that has a special place in my heart now that they ship to Canadians, too!

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